Cross-validation and extension of the MMPI-A IMM scale

Area of Science:

• Psychological Assessment
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• The Inventory of Minor Concerns (IMC) scale was developed for the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent (MMPI-A).
• Cross-validation is essential to ensure the reliability and validity of psychological scales across different populations and contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To cross-validate the IMC scale using college undergraduates.
• To examine the relationship between IMC scale scores and ego developmental level.
• To compare scoring methods of the IMC scale based on MMPI-A and MMPI-2 item subsets.

Main Methods:

• 151 college undergraduates (75 female, 76 male) completed the IMC scale, scored using MMPI-A (IMMA) and MMPI-2 (IMM2) item subsets.
• Participants also completed the Washington University Sentence Completion Test (WUSCT) for ego developmental level assessment.
• High inter-rater reliability (.80) was achieved for WUSCT scoring.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant correlations were found between ego level scores and both IMMA and IMM2 scales.
• Means and standard deviations for both IMM scales were obtained for male and female participants.
• The study established a link between the IMC scale and ego development in a college student sample.

Conclusions:

• The IMC scale demonstrates validity in assessing psychological concerns related to ego development in college students.
• The cross-validation supports the use of the IMC scale, adaptable for both MMPI-A and MMPI-2 contexts.
• Further research can explore the IMC scale's utility in diverse clinical and non-clinical populations.